How Local Authorities Can Judge Value For Money in Literacy Investment

Assessing the value of literacy provision across an entire local authority requires a broader comparison than licence costs alone. A business case may account carefully for the direct cost while leaving some of the wider value - and some of the existing costs - outside the calculation.

At a time when councils are scrutinising every line of expenditure, it is important that the comparison reflects the full scale of the provision being considered

Compare the Full Provision, Not Only the Licence Cost

The instinct is to compare one digital resource with another, or with the cost of maintaining current provision. Both comparisons are useful, but neither necessarily captures the full value of delivering the same breadth of literacy provision across an entire local authority.

For digital reading libraries, another useful comparison is the cost of providing a similar breadth of content in print across the authority. This would require enough books for every school and early childhood centre. Those books would need to cover different reading levels, topics and languages, with multiple copies available. They would also need to be replaced as they wear out and curriculum needs change.

At a local authority scale, the difference can be considerable. This comparison can also help finance colleagues assess two ways of providing a similar entitlement, rather than comparing the licence with a much narrower selection of existing resources.

Include the Staff Time Behind Current Provision

Staff time is another important part of the value calculation.

Teachers and classroom support staff may already be sourcing texts, matching them to levels, differentiating materials and preparing resources. None of that appears on an invoice, which is why it can be left out of the arithmetic.

The pressure on that time is rising rather than easing. In 2024, 284,448 pupils in Scotland were recorded as having additional support needs, representing 40.5% of the pupil population, compared with 20.8% a decade earlier. This growing range of needs places additional demands on staff as they identify, adapt and prepare appropriate resources for different learners.

A value case that weighs only licence cost against licence cost may therefore be overlooking one of its most significant costs.

Access and Choice Are Also Part of the Value Case

Access, inclusion and pupil voice provide further context when considering value.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 came into force on 16 July 2024. It makes it unlawful for public authorities, including councils, to act incompatibly with the UNCRC requirements incorporated by the Act when carrying out relevant functions. Listed authorities must also report on the actions they have taken, and intend to take, to ensure compatibility and secure better or further effect of children’s rights.

In the context of literacy, breadth of access, inclusion and pupil voice can form part of a rights-respecting approach. Giving pupils meaningful choice over what they read can support engagement. Access to texts in a learner’s own language can also support participation for children and young people with English as an additional language.

A local authority assessing value can therefore count breadth of choice and breadth of language as part of what it is buying, rather than as a bonus that sits outside the calculation.
The supplier’s approach matters too. Local authorities need clear information about what is available, how it can be accessed and what implementation will involve. They also need space to assess whether the provision is right for their settings and priorities.

This transparent, collaborative approach was one of the things East Ayrshire Council highlighted when reflecting on its experience of working with ILT Education UK.

How ILT Education UK Can Help

The clearest illustration of the comparison above is Polylino. Polylino offers books that can be listened to and read in more than 68 languages, providing a breadth of multilingual access that would be difficult to replicate physically at authority scale, both financially and in terms of shelf space.

Across the rest of the range, ILT Education UK’s products help local authorities address different literacy needs at scale. Giglets provides curriculum-aligned texts and tasks for primary and secondary, with supporting resources available for educators. Nessy offers structured, research-based programmes supporting reading, spelling and related learning needs, including dyslexia. Aski Raski supports older learners to develop foundational literacy skills.

When developing a business case, comparing the cost of equivalent physical provision - including replacement - alongside the staff time currently required to source and prepare resources can provide a fuller picture of value.

Value is not only found in the licence. It is also reflected in how effectively a solution can be implemented across different settings and in the support provided along the way.

Hear directly from East Ayrshire Council about its experience of working in partnership with ILT Education UK, from developing the initial strategy to implementation across the local authority.

Watch the East Ayrshire Council video case study.